Various electronic timepieces have recently been introduced in which both an analog display portion, composed of time indicating hands and a dial, and an electro-optical display portion are combined, to form a compound type of display. The electro-optical display portion may indicate, for example, current time information in digital form, data information, etc. The analog display portion indicates hours, minutes and in some cases also seconds information, as in the case of a conventional timepiece. Such a compound display presents the advantages of a novel and attractive appearance. In addition, while a digital display of time information is generally easier to read to a high degree of accuracy, most people are more familiar with the conventional type of analog display, so that a compound display has advantages in terms of sales appeal.
In the previous embodiments of such timepieces with compound displays which have been produced, the degree of harmonization between the electro-optical and the analog display portions leaves much to be desired. As will be shown in the subsequent descriptions of such prior art embodiments, the correllation between the shape of the digital display portion and that of the analog display portion does not provide the maximum degree of overall attractiveness, with the digital display portion being generally disposed as a rectangular or lozenge-shaped module within or adjacent to the analog display portion. Since the electro-optical display cell must in this case necessarily be of small dimensions, such an arrangement also has the disadvantage that the number if connections which can be made to the electro-optical display cell, and the ease of making these connections, is low.
In an electronic timepiece according to the present invention, these disadvantages of the prior art embodiments are overcome by utilizing an electro-optical display cell having a central aperture, with the analog display portion being provided within that aperture. In other words, the electro-optical display cell is in the form of a frame, the general form of which may be annular, square, etc., which surrounds the dial and time indicating hands of the analog display portion. Since the shape of the electro-optical display portion and the analog display portion can thus be harmonized, while a large number of connections can easily be provided to the electro-optical display cell, the present invention enables an electronic timepiece having a compound analog and digital display of highly advantageous design to be produced.